Jikana Damaru

Duck egg blue

For my next Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you a colour theme of cream and duck egg blue. Check back next week for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

The dreamlike nature in rest from Gabrielle Kai Photography
The distressed birds and vase in patience from Almost Bunnies
The hand stitched pearly apple in Pearly Gould from Jennybubbletime
The adorable fish jumping out of the tea cup in The fugitive fish from The Curious Nomad

Greengate

Greengate is a Copenhagen-based interior company, centered around a cottage theme. They sell stoneware, kitchen linens, fabrics, bedspreads and lampshades, amongst other things.

They have two collections a year: this summer they have been inspired by Bellevue beach in Copenhagen. Breezy pastels and cool carefree colours are the order of the day - all carefully designed to blend in seamlessly with existing Greengate items.

I first discovered Greengate a year ago on holiday in a small interior shop in Spain. I bought a green dotty melamine salad bowl with pink on the inside, like the one above. When I got home, it looked so good with my Cath Kidston melamine print plates, that I use for outside dining, that I wanted to find stockists in the UK. Fortunately, the Greengate website has a full list of them. I also found their online catalogue, from which I bought another salad bowl with matching salad servers, dinner plates and side plates.

White chocolate raspberry cupcakes

White chocolate raspberry cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)

Ingredients
125g (4.5 ounces) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon (1/6 ounces) vanilla extract
150g (5.2 ounces) caster sugar
2 eggs
150g (5.2 ounces) self-raising flour
170g (6 ounces) crushed fresh raspberries
60ml (2 fluid ounces) semi-skimmed milk
100g (3.5 ounces) Belgium white choc chunks

Cooking instructions

Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F).
Line muffin tray with paper cases.
Beat flour, butter, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour.
Stir in the white chocolate and raspberries and mixed thoroughly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Place cakes on a wire rack to cool.

Raspberry butter frosting (for 12 muffin sized cupcakes)

Ingredients
12 crushed fresh raspberries
vanilla butter frosting
36 mini white marshmallows

Instructions

Blend 12 raspberries with a food processor so they are completely crushed.
Add the blended raspberries into a small bowl with the vanilla butter frosting and stir well until it is an even pink colour.
Fill piping bag with the frosting and pipe in swirls on top of the cakes.
Place 3 mini marshmallows on top and dust with pink metallic icing.

Ananya

Diamonte water dress

Love lies sleeveless

I have just discovered Ananya in Notting Hill, London. They sell the most exquisite hand made bejeweled dresses and kaftans, worn by Kate Moss, Beyonce, Claudia Schiffer and Madonna to name a few.

Today:

I came across some gorgeous papers & had some time to be creative. I had lots of fun!!! Next week you will be able to see these new cards up close & personal in my store.

~ A little run down ~

I am in need of a long relaxing bath and a very big sleep as I am getting myself a little run down trying to keep on top of everything so if you don't hear from me for a few days I have taken some time out to catch up on much needed sleep - I promise I will be back soon and not so bleary eyed!!

Bead flower

Porcelain flower palette filled with beads in the craft room

My porcelain flower palette is filled with beads sourced in India.

The antique butterfly trim is from The London Vintage Fashion Textiles and Accessories Fair.

The sewing thread needles come in this cute pebble from John James.